Interactive software systems are diverse and valuable tools, providing services that were either never before available, or were previously available only through interaction with a human professional. For example, an interactive software system may provide tax preparation or financial management services. Prior to the advent of interactive software systems, a user would be required to consult with a tax preparation or financial management professional for services and the user would be limited, and potentially inconvenienced, by the hours during which the professional was available for consultation. Furthermore, the user might be required to travel to the professional's physical location. Beyond the inconveniences of scheduling and travel, the user would also be at the mercy of the professional's education, skill, personality, and varying moods. All of these factors resulted in a user vulnerable to human error and variations in human ability and temperament.
Some interactive software systems provide services that human professionals are not capable of providing, and even those interactive software systems providing services similar to those historically provided by human professionals offer many benefits: the interactive software system does not have limited working hours, is not geographically limited, and is not subject to human error or variations in human ability or temperament.
Although interactive software systems represent a potentially highly flexible, readily accessible, and affordable source for a multitude of services, currently available interactive software systems do have several significant shortcomings. For example, unlike human professionals providing services and human interaction, traditional interactive software systems cannot, or do not, adjust, must less dynamically adapt, interactions with a user based on the content being delivered, and/or the individual user's historical data related to the current content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user.
The problem arises largely because currently available interactive software systems are developed in a way that specifically attempts to address the needs of as broad a spectrum of users and content as possible, i.e., the content and user experience is provided in a static “one size fits all” approach. Indeed, traditional interactive software systems are, by design, fairly generic in nature and often lack the malleability to meet the specific needs of a given user, much less adapt to the content being delivered, and/or the individual user's historical data related to the current content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user. As a result, an interactive software system designed for a generic content and hypothetical user may alienate, or even insult, a specific user, who has a temperament, particular circumstances, and/or cultural background, that differs even slightly from the assumed temperament, circumstances, and/or culture of the generic, hypothetical user used as a model for generating currently available static user experiences.
For example, traditional interactive software systems often present a static, predetermined, and pre-packaged content delivery messages and user experience components to all users for all content. These content delivery messages and user experience components are typically presented to every user for every type of content with little or no customization; are typically generated in a static and generic manner; and are typically provided via a combination of content delivery messages and user experience components, which include, but are not limited to, message wording and tone, audio data, interface displays, images, background music, and assistance resources. Using traditional interactive software systems static, or very limited, content delivery messages and sets of user experience components are typically hard-coded elements of the interactive software system and do not lend themselves to effective or efficient modification, or even re-combination. As a result, traditional interactive software systems do not adapt or adjust the user experience provided to a user based on the content being delivered, and/or the individual user's historical data related to the current content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user, to ensure the interaction with the user is appropriate to the content being delivered, and is respectful, in light of the individual user's circumstances, sensitivities, and the potential emotional effect of the content being provided.
As a specific illustrative example, typical currently available interactive software systems offering navigation and/or mapping services might default to using a happy or neutral human voice for making recommendations and reports. However, if the interactive software system is reporting an accident with fatalities it is appropriate/respectful for the voice delivering this information to be somber, and certainly not upbeat or giggly.
As another specific illustrative example, using a typical currently available interactive software system offering tax return preparation service, any calculated tax refund is assumed to be a positive event for the user. Consequently, anytime a refund is calculated, the interactive software system might be programmed to display the content delivery message “You have a refund!!!” in a congratulatory display, font, pop-up, avatar, and/or voice. However, assume for the moment, the user is indeed due for a tax refund but the currently calculated refund is significantly less than the user's historical refund amount. In this specific example, it is doubtful the user will be thrilled to discover this fact and will likely not appreciate the upbeat and congratulatory “You have a refund!!!” content delivery message statically programmed into the interactive software system. In this case, the static content delivery message and/or user experience components are actually inappropriate for this user, and might even be insulting, or provide a convenient focus for the user's anger/disappointment; i.e., the user might well be tempted to blame the insensitive messenger.
As discussed above, the inability of traditional interactive software systems to dynamically adapt the content delivery message and user experience components to the content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user often results in user alienation, frustration, and even insult. Clearly, this is not the type of impression that results in happy, loyal, repeat customers and, in turn, can ultimately result in lost customers. This is because, predictably, when users are alienated from, become frustrated with, or are insulted by, an interactive software system, they are far more likely to abandon the interactive software system, which results in lost business.
Even worse, when the inability of traditional interactive software systems to dynamically adapt the user experience to the content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user causes users to become frustrated with their user experience, the software system, and/or the provider of the software system, these users may spread the word of their dissatisfaction to other potential users. Today, more than ever, this is a serious situation given the speed and reach of modern communications and the fact that any complaints voiced by a dissatisfied user may reach a myriad of other potential users. Indeed, the number of people that can become the audience for a single complaint is overwhelming and the potential reach of a single complaint can create serious consequences. Clearly, this is again an undesirable result for both the potential user of the interactive software system and the provider of the interactive software system.
Given the consequences of dissatisfied customers, it is in the best interest of the provider of an interactive software system to provide a dynamic and customized user experience to its users. What is needed is a method and system for dynamically adapting the content delivery message and user experience components to the content being delivered, and/or variations in the emotional state of the user, and/or the individual user's sensitivities and the potential emotional effect of the information being provided to the individual user, and/or the culture/customs associated with the individual user.